Culver Icon Destroyed In Wisconsin Storms

BEAVER DAM, WI — An iconic blue Culver’s barn in Beaver Dam was destroyed Wednesday after strong storms swept across southern Wisconsin.

The bright blue barn, painted with the words "Thank You, Farmers," was a familiar sight along US-151.

Michael Zimmerman, who has owned the barn since 1976, told WMTV that the structure had been a Culver’s barn for more than a decade. He said the barn was first damaged when a tornado touched down in Beaver Dam in April, and Wednesday’s strong winds brought the rest of it down.

Photos of the damage were posted to social media.

Zimmerman told WMTV he was home when the storms moved through the area. He said a neighbor told him winds of more than 85 mph were reported nearby.

The barn had been scheduled to be repainted next month.

"I hope that we can get back to the same place that we were," Zimmerman told the station.

The Beaver Dam barn was part of Culver’s Thank You Farmers Project, which the Wisconsin-based restaurant chain launched in 2013 to support agricultural education and thank farmers.

Culver’s says it has four blue barns across the Midwest painted with messages of gratitude. The barns are in Beaver Dam and Mineral Point, Wisconsin; Greenfield, Indiana; and Argenta, Illinois.

Since 2013, Culver’s and its guests have donated more than $8 million through the Thank You Farmers Project, according to the company.